Yeshua Gonzalez, a fourth-grader at Juarez Elementary, plays “A Medias de la Noche” on Wednesday during an after-school mariachi program.

RHYTHMO president Oliver Zavala instructs a classroom of students to play typical mariachi instruments.

Sycamore Junior High student Sean Oliu and his mother, Robbie Hernandez-Oliu, were instrumental in creating a mariachi program at two schools in the Anaheim City School District: Juarez Elementary and his alma mater, Adelaide Price Elementary.

Sycamore Junior High student Sean Oliu, a musician who was a finalist in a TV singing competition show, helped create a mariachi program at two elementary schools in Anaheim.

Juarez fourth-grader Yeshua Gonzalez, right, blows one last note while packing up his trumpet Wednesday afternoon during Juarez Elementary's after-school mariachi program run by RHYTHMO Mariachi Academy.

Sycamore Junior High student Sean Oliu and his mother Robbie Hernandez-Oliu were instrumental in creating a mariachi program at two elementary schools in Anaheim. Sean plays several instruments in a mariachi band.

Two Anaheim elementary schools have mariachi bands – and there’s one soft-spoken, articulate kid with a booming, beautiful voice who helped make that happen.

Sean Oliu, 13, was a student at Adelaide Price Elementary School three years ago when he was a finalist on “La Voz Kids,” Telemundo’s Spanish-language counterpart to NBC’s “The Voice.”

For finishing so high, he won $4,000 that he could donate to any organization.

Sean wanted to buy instruments for students at Price Elementary, but like other Anaheim City School District campuses, the school didn’t even have a music program at the time.

His mother, Robbie Hernandez-Oliu, talked to Superintendent Linda Wagner, who was already committed to creating a districtwide music program. Hernandez-Oliu mentioned how great it would be if schools also could teach mariachi.

“She looked at me and said, ‘Why not?’” Hernandez-Oliu recalled.

The mom and son organized their first fundraiser in 2014 to create an after-school mariachi program for Price that was held in Oliu’s grandmother’s backyard. It raised about $6,000 to add to Oliu’s donated winnings from the voice contest. With the support of other parents, more fundraisers followed.

Today, Price and Juarez elementary schools boast mariachi groups with some 120 students who meet weekly with professional musicians to learn Mexican music and its traditional instruments.

“Because it’s mariachi, it helps build a strong bond with our culture,” said Oliu, now an eighth-grader at Sycamore Junior High School.

“My goal would be to see every single student in our schools and our district play an instrument and explore the arts,” he said. “Music is everything.”